Review: Qubes OS 4.1.1 and Alchg Linux
Qubes OS is an unusual project which strives to perform two difficult tasks in parallel. First, it attempts to isolate various tasks and elements of the operating system to prevent the compromising of one component from affecting other components. Second, it attempts to make this experience virtually seamless for desktop users.
The idea here is that the user should be able to use their applications in a way which allows each application (or a group of applications) to be isolated from the rest of the system. If our web browser is hijacked it shouldn't give access to our office documents, for example.
I downloaded the latest version of Qubes OS, which is provided as a 5.4GB ISO for 64-bit (x86_64) computers. Booting from this ISO displays a boot menu where we can immediately launch the system installer or run a self-check on the media and then start the install process. There is no option to launch a live desktop environment.
By default, Qubes runs Fedora software. This includes getting up and running using the Anaconda system installer. The installing experience is virtually identical to setting up Fedora 36 Workstation with the exception the default software selection uses the Xfce desktop instead of GNOME.
The Anaconda installer presents the steps we take to set up the operating system as a series of modules we can access in the order of our choosing from a hub screen. After going through the modules and (mostly) taking the defaults, the installer refused to continue. At the bottom of the page a message informed me that I'd need to complete all the steps currently marked with an alert icon. The problem was none of the modules was marked with an icon.
I went through the modules again and ran into the same warning without the ability to continue. I restarted the computer and tried again. This time I took all the defaults. This caused the partitioning module to complain, saying the automated partition layout wouldn't work. I set up partitions for booting, swap, and root. Then returned to the hub screen where I was shown the same warning about completing all marked modules before continuing, despite no modules being marked.